Sliding desk top



Sept. 20, 1932. E. oHNsTRAND SLI DING DESK TOP kww Patented Sept. 20, 1932 UNITED STATES i PATENT OFFICE ENOCH OHNSTRAND, F KENMORE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE'ASSIGNMENTS, T0 REMINGTON RAND INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., .A CORPQRATION 0F DELAWARE SLIDING DESK TOP Application led April 18,

This invention relates to furniture constructions and has reference more particularly to a type of furniture such as a desk 1n which the top of the desk is adapted to sllde 'y laterally to form an overhanging shelf.

i In desks used for bank purposes, such as for the sorting of checks, it is desirable to have a broad working space so that many checks can be exposed at onetime on the top of the desk. In desks for the sorting of checks it is also desirable to provide a construction so designed that no checks can become lost or lodged between the sliding top and the desk proper.

An object of this invention therefore 1s to provide a desk construction suitable forl use in banks.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bank desk wherein the top of the desk 2o may be moved laterally to form an overhanging shelf.

A further object is to provide a construction for a. bank desk wherein provision is made to prevent any checks from becoming lost or lodged between the various members of the desk; also to improve furniture constructions in other respects hereinafter specified and claimed.

7 Reference is to be had to the accompany` ing drawing forming a part of this specification, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective View of my improved desk showing the top of said desk moved laterally to form an overhanging shelf,

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through a portion of the desk,

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional View through a portion of the desk,

Fig. 4- is a transverse, enlarged, sectional l0 view through the check arrestor on the sliding desk top, and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of the check arrestor.

Referring to the drawing by numerals, 10

indicates the housing of the desk which is formed of a. pair of side walls 11, a top 12 and a bottom 13. The various parts of the desk housing are preferably, but not necessarily, formed of molded insulation which is composed preferably of gypsum in which able connection with the housin 1927. Serial No. 184,563.

sawdustv has been incorporated, the gypsum being poured as a plastic into a form, allowed to set and then dried until the free moisture is expelled and only water of crysv tallization remains. The latter is liberated as steam in case of fire, which protects the contents of the desk from destruction. Intermediate partitions 14 are preferably formed at intervals in the h-ousing 10, said partitions preferably lying in a horizontal plane and being spaced apart sufficiently to provide a plurality of containers for drawers 15, the fronts of the latter being also formed of molded insulation. As the desk housing is of comparatively heavy construction it is desirable to provide casters 16 below the housing, which permits the housing to be readily moved from place to place. I

One of the salient features of m invention consists in a top 17 for the des which 1s slidably connected with the top 12 of the cabinet to forma shelf which can be pulled forwardly, as shown in Fig. 1, to provide a broad working space for the sorting of checks or other pa ers. In order to slidably connect the shelf 1 to the cabinet top 12, a pair of bracket flanges 18 are secured one on each upper edge of the housing 10; The" two brackets 18 are connected by a plate 19 having an inwardly turned flange 20 along each edge thereof. The shelf 17 is preferably composed of'a metallic plate 21 of steel or other material, which has a pair of downwardly extending flanges 22 terminating in upwardly extending flanges 23, the latter flanges being adapted to interlock under the flanges 20 as shown in Figure 3 to hold the shelf 17 in slid- The molded insulation composlng the housing 10 is preferably provided with embedded reinforcing metal 25 which may be in the form of expanded metal, and said insulation is also covered with a sheet of metal 26 which usually is enameled to give a pleasing appearance and to prevent rusting. Secured around the upper edge of `the housing is a plate 27 which extends upwardly and effectively prevents any checksor other papers from falling off the edge of the desk. This plate preferably has an oEset recess 28 which sol is usuall provided to accomodate an adding mac ine. The plate 27 terminates in a forwardly extending plate 29, and slide bracket 30 is secured to the inside thereof by spot welding or other suitable means. An outwardly extending fiange 31 is formed along the upperv edge of the sheet 26, and a plate 32 connects the bracket 30 with the flange 31 and forms an extension of cabinet top plate 19. The outer edge of the late 32 terminates in an' inwardly extending ange 33 and an upwardly extending flange 34, formed on the outer edge of shelf 17, intel"- locks under the flange 33 to maintain the outer edge of lsaid shelf in sliding contact with the rest of the desk structure. It is understood that the shelf 17 is substantially the same shape as the top of the desk as shown in Fig. 1, and said shelf can be pulled forwardly so as to form an overhanging shelf for the desk, to provide a broad working space for the sorting of checks or other papers and to provide leg room for the operator.

It is desirable to prevent any checks from becoming lost when lying on the space back of the shelf 17 when said shelf is moved rearwardly .into inoperative position. For this purpose a check arrester in the form of a strip of flexible metal 36 is provided. This strip 36 preferably has slots 37 formed in one edge thereof so as to produce sections or lingers 38 which incline downwardly from the under side of the shelf 17 and bear against the metallic top 19 of the desk. The strip 36 may be secured to the under side of the rear edge of shelf 17 by a cleat 40 or other suitable means, and said strip may be provided with downwardly extending flange 41 abutting the cleat 40, said flange serving as a stop adapted to engage the upwardly extending leg 42 formed on an angle stop 43 so as to limit the outward movement of the shelf 17. The leg 42 ofthe angle stop 43 extends upwardly through a slot in the desk top 19 and is secured to the under side of said desk top preferably after the shelf is assembled, by means of screws 44. The fingers 38 make a close sliding connection with the desk top 19 so that when the shelf 17 is moved rearwardly to inoperative position, any checks lying in the space back of the shelf are pushed rearwardly by said fingers 38 and are prevented from becoming lodged under shelf 17 and thus becoming lost. The shelf 17 is preferably provided with a suitable covering 45 which may be of battleship linoleum orthe like, and is. held in place by suitable clips l 46 around'the outer periphery of shelf 17.

Preferably secured to the plate 27 above the shelf 17, are one or more angle brackets 47 on which are provided sockets 48 for inkwells 49. The brackets 47 are so spaced, that they will not interfere with the sliding movements of the shelf 17 I would state in conclusion that while the trated and described, sinc same can be considerably varld without-de-4 illustrated examples constitute a practical embodiment of my invention, I do not limit myself precisely to the details herein illusmanifestly the parting from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims. I claim:

1'. In a furniture construction, a housing having a top,a shelf' slidable above said top and a flexible, metallic strip secured to a lower edge of said shelf, said strip being adapted to press against said top and prevent tpapers from lodging between said shelf and 2. In a furniture construction, a housing having a top, a shelf slidable above said top, and a flexible, metallic member secured near one edge of said shelf, said member having a series of sections adapted to bear against said top during the sliding movement of said shelf so as to prevent papers from lodging between said shelf and top..

3. As an article of manufacture, a desk forming attachment for a filing cabinet said cabinet being a complete article of manufacture in itself, comprising a frame member detachably embracing and supported on the top portion of said cabinet, said frame meinber having guideways, and a fiat top member having depending side flanges slidable in said guideways.-

4. As an article of manufacture, a desk forming attachment for a cabinet said cabinet being a complete article of manufacture in itself, comprising a frame member formed with a socket portion to receive and detachably embrace the upper portion of the cabinet, a top plate member on said frame member providing a working area, and means cooperating with said plate member for increasing the/size of said working area.

5. As an article of manufacture, a desk forming attachment for a filing cabinet said cabinet being a complete article of manufacture in itself, comprising desk forming means providing a flat working surface, and means for detachably mounting the first mentioned means over the top portion of the cabinet, said desk forming means including a pair of adjacent parallel relatively movable top members adjustable to vary the size of the working area. c

6. As an article of manufacture, a desk forming Iattachment for a filing cabinet having top, side, front and rear walls, comprising a frame member, flanges on said frame member engaging the upper portions of the side and rear walls of said ling cabinet, said frame member seating on the top, and desk top forming members mounted on said frame member to provide aflat working aren,

net having top, side, front and rear walls, comprising a frame member, side and rear wall embracing means on said frame member for positioning said member on said cabinet, said frame member seating and being supported on the top of said cabinet, guide flanges formed on said frame member, a top plate mounted on said frame member, and a slidable top plate having side flanges slidably interlocked in said guide flanges, said slidable top plate and said first-mentioned top plate cooperating to provide a flat desk top adapted for increase in area by movement of said slidin' plate in said guide flanges.

8. I'li combination, a filing cabinet of polygonal form having a flat top and forming a complete articleof manufacture, and a desk forming attachment for said cabinet, including a frame member detachably embracing and supported on the top of said liling cabinet, and a desk top member mounted on said frame member and normally projecting beyond the edges of said filing cabinet.

9. In combination, a filing cabinet of polygonal form having a top and forming a complete article of manufacture, and a desk forming attachment for said cabinet, including a frame member detachably embracing and supported on the top of said filing cabinet, and a desk top member slidably mounted on said frame member for movement relative to the frame member to project beyond the edges of the filing cabinet and provide a flat working surface.

10. The combination with a sheet metal desk .of the class described comprising a rectangular body unit and a sheet lnetal top structure therefor substantially co-extensive with the vertical projection of the body at the rear and one lateral side thereof, but at the opposite side and forwardly of the rear, extending considerably beyond the lateral wall of the body to overhang the same leaving a cut-out rear corner at said opposite side and wherein the top structure has a low upstanding wall along the rear edge and along a portion of each contiguous lateral edge and wherein the top structure presents an edge of substantial thickness along the front including the laterally overhanging p0rtion,--of means for forwardly extending the top structure, including said front edge, to rovlde a continuous open working surface oi] increased area considerably overhanging the front wall ofthe body, said means being included in the top structure and comprising a fixed rearward top surface member, a second top surface member of sheet metal extending substantially from the first-mentioned lateral edge to the lateral edge of the laterally overhanging portion and carrying an exposed downward thickness-simulating flange along substantially its entire front edge, and means on the top structure for slidably mounting the second surface member for reciprocation from 

